Eight Chinese nationals were on Thursday arrested at the Cheetah Cement factory outside Otjiwarongo after they failed to produce work permits to the immigration officials and members of the Namibian Police Force (NamPol).
NamPol spokesperson in the Otjozondjupa Region, Inspector Maureen Mbeha, in an interview with Nampa on Thursday said the six suspects include six men and two women.
“The women are aged 27 and 42 years, while the men are 23, 33, 34, 35, 38 and 41,” she said.
The suspects are all employed by Cheetah Cement, situated about six kilometres north of Otjiwarongo, she said.
The two female suspects and five males have been in Namibia since May and June 2021, while the 23-year-old arrived at the factory in March this year, said Mbeha.
They are all expected to appear in the Otjiwarongo Magistrate’s Court within 14 days, Mbeha added.
Their presence was exposed by members of the Namibia Economic Freedom Fighters (NEFF), who on Tuesday marched to offices of the Cheetah Cement, calling for the removal of all Chinese nationals working there without work permits.
NEFF Commander-In-Chief, Epafras Mukwiilongo and his deputy, Kalimbo Iipumbu headed the march, and were accompanied by Gregory Cloete, Michael Amushelelo and Dimbulukeni Nauyoma.
Mukwiilongo at the site said his party is against any exploitation of workers or the exploitation of the natural resources of the country in an unfair manner.
His deputy, Iipumbu, joined saying it was also sad for him to have found a group of Chinese nationals sweeping the walking bays of the factory, saying that such jobs, which do not require skilled workforce, are supposed to be reserved for Namibians.
Chief Administrative Officer of the Cheetah Cement, Zayn Koorts, on Tuesday refused to meet NEFF members at his office, saying their presence on the factory was a trespassing case.
On Wednesday he opened cases of trespassing against Mukwiilongo and his party members, after repeatedly refuting the allegations levelled against Cheetah Cement by the NEEEF’s members, labelling them false and baseless.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
